3: Graduation

Clark fidgeted, about to have an unpleasant conversation regarding his past actions. His parents' stern gazes bore into his. He couldn't bear the silence.

'I went to see Jor-El,' he admitted.

If only there was something else to focus on than his father's burning disapproval. Lois would be home from her night shift at the Talon soon; they couldn't wait any longer to discuss things of Kryptonian nature.

'And?' Jonathan asked.

'Ethan's my biological son.' Clark stared into his glass of water. 'He is half Kryptonian, half human.'

Martha gasped, looking to the darkened living room. Her grandson slept unaware in his new baby basket. Her eyes held only love for the little boy.

Jonathan's stubbornness deflated. He sank onto a kitchen stool, staring at the counter. He gave Clark a half-smile and nod.

'I don't know what powers he'll have or how strong they'll be...' he continued. 'But he's like me.'

'After Evan... worrying you'd never get the chance to have kids...' Martha smiled sadly. 'It looks like you got your wish.'

'Okay, hold on a minute.' Jonathan frowned. 'How is this even possible, Clark? I mean, who's the mother? When did this happen?'

There it was.

Clark averted his gaze. 'I don't have all the answers,' he mumbled.

'You must know something, son.'

'Jonathan-'

'It was during those three months, okay?' Clark stood, turning away from them. He stared into the sink, hating his inability to ease the guilt. 'I wasn't in the cave the whole time. No, I don't remember anything else.'

'What do you remember?' Martha asked.

He sighed, trying to focus on his fractured memories and ignore a part of him that didn't care how it happened.

'I remember the light in the cave,' he said. 'I uh, I remember lying on a road. I was almost hit by a car. I think it was in a city, but I have no idea which one. I remember she had blonde hair. Two months later, there was this white-hot pain and Jor-El's voice saying something about destiny, then nothing. Until I woke up in that field.'

'Two months? Clark-' Jonathan tried.

'Does it really matter?' he snapped. 'I don't know anything. I get that it's bad timing, but you didn't exactly have a lot of warning either when you found a super-powered boy and his spaceship in a crater. Ethan's here now. Can't we just accept that and move on?'

Clark rushed to soothe his crying son. He avoided his parents, resisting a remark about how easily Jor-El accepted the news and believed in him. It shouldn't hurt, but it did.

'Now there's a sound I didn't miss.' Lois walked through the door, tossing aside her purse.

She paused, as if the tension in the room was visible. Clark shot her a silent plea to save him.

'You would not believe the night I've had,' Lois told the Kents, rolling her eyes as she noisily filled a glass of water. 'Who knew anyone but Chloe needed that much coffee after hours?'

'Busy shift?' Martha allowed the topic change, giving her son a knowing look.

'Yeah. I swear they should pay me extra for managing not to strangle anyone.' Lois tickled Ethan's tummy in greeting, earning a smile from the quietened baby. 'There was this one guy who changed his order more times than a club performer changes clothes.'

'Thanks,' Clark whispered, in case the lingering glance they shared wasn't enough to convey his appreciation for her intrusion.

'No offence, Smallville, but you look like crap,' Lois added, with a subtle nod. 'I'll take little Clark Junior Crying Machine for a while. You go have a much-needed shower.'

'Lois, I-'

'No, I got this.' She retrieved Ethan, holding him at arm's length. Lois adjusted him in her arms and tickled a tiny foot. 'I'm not gonna drop him, okay?' She didn't know what she was doing, but was determined.

Aware of the spit-up stains on his shirt, Clark conceded defeat.

Lois watched him head upstairs, wishing he'd take the awkward tension and uncomfortable silence with him. At least she'd come home when she had. As nice and supportive as the Kents were, she hadn't expected things to be easy at first. Even so, Jonathan Kent had nothing on the General when it came to disappointed stares.

'There are leftovers in the oven, if you're hungry,' Martha said.

'Thanks, Mrs Kent.' Lois rocked Ethan as gently as possible. She glanced at Jonathan's serious look and tried to resist, but it was a futile effort. 'Look, I know this is probably the news of a lifetime, to find out your non-virgin son is now a teenage dad... and I also know it's none of my business, but it's Clark. This little guy's in great hands.'

Jonathan sighed. 'We know that, Lois.'

'And of course we support him,' Martha added. 'It's just...'

'A shock?' she guessed. 'Not what you had in mind for his big, bright future? I get it. He's lucky to have supportive parents like you. If I had a kid at eighteen, I doubt the General would ever talk to me again.'

Lois yelped at a sharp pull on her scalp. Here she was, defending the little monster's future, and he chose that moment to make a grab for her hair? She shot Ethan a warning look, but it only made him cry.

'Okay, uh... when I started looking after my little sister, she'd already outgrown this stage.' She winced. 'My god, he's so loud. What do I do?'

Even with the crying, there was a muffled sound of something breaking in the bathroom. The Kents exchanged a wary, borderline amused look. Whatever that was about.

'Hey, it's okay.' She rocked the baby. 'I'm Lois. I'm a nice person. We're practically family, right? Shhh – it's okay. Grandma's getting your bottle. Let's not burst Lois' eardrums.'

'Grandma.' Martha admired the word, sharing an enlightened smile with Jonathan.

'Lois, what did you do?' Clark appeared in front of her, dripping wet and wearing a towel. How had he moved so fast?

'Nothing.' She scoffed, offended. She accepted the warm bottle, trying not to ogle Clark's bare chest. Not like she hadn't seen that before. 'See? Crisis averted. Calm down, Papa Bear. Your offspring is fine.'

Clark gave her a suspicious look, then headed back upstairs to finish drying his hair.

... ~ …

Everyone at school had heard the news of Clark's sudden parenthood, as if it was on the front page of the Torch.

'Another reason I'm glad we're graduating,' he muttered.

'It was bound to happen,' Chloe said, having endured his complaints about stares and whispers at every turn. 'It is Smallville, after all. Small town charm and all that.'

'I guess.' He sulked, leaning on a cabinet. 'Even Lex stopped by this morning. Said to call him if I needed anything.'

The Torch was his refuge during every lunch break or free time. He couldn't expect Lana to react as well as Chloe had, so he avoided her all week. With word spreading faster than a meteor-induced fire, she'd have heard about it by now.

Smallville High looked different, in a way unrelated to the approach of graduation. Were the walls a shade darker? Or the floors more reflective than before? Had everyone he knew undergone a change of appearance?

No. The disconnect from the building he'd spent years inside, and people he passed in the halls or shared a classroom with, was internal. Everyone and everything were the same. He was the one who'd changed.

'How are you holding up?' Chloe asked, sorting clippings for her last issue of the Torch. She moved aside her latest copy of the Daily Planet, eyeing the headline of continued efforts to locate Lionel Luthor and his plane.

'I'm fine.' He shrugged. 'I mean, it's a lot, but I think I've got a handle on it. My parents have come around to the idea now they're babysitting him most of the day.'

'You're lucky to have them.' Chloe smiled. 'Though I imagine Lois is driving you crazy.'

'When doesn't she?' he joked. 'Actually, she's been great. I mean, for Lois. She even feeds him sometimes. And when he wakes her in the middle of the night crying, she's only mad at me for one hour. Like somehow it's my fault that babies cry. She is drying up our coffee supply, though.'

'One hour? That's big of her.' Chloe laughed. 'You know, you can say his name. Ethan. Who picked it out?'

He shifted, staring at the floor. 'His biological mother. I think it meant something to her to name him. It kind of reminds me of my dad's name. I like it, though I got to pick his middle name when filing the rest of the paperwork - Daniel.'

'His biological mother, huh?' She glanced at him, biting her lip. 'So you've officially given up trying to find her? After just one week?'

'Chloe...'

'I know.' She nodded, hands raised in surrender. 'I promised I'd stay out of it, Clark, and I have. It's just... one day, Ethan will have a lot of questions. Do you really want to tell him you didn't even try to find her?'

'She doesn't want to be found,' he insisted. 'I'm respecting her choice, and I've saved the letter. I'm sure Ethan will understand.'

'I hope so...' Chloe trailed off, staring at the doorway.

'Sorry.' Lana blushed. 'Am I interrupting?'

He couldn't avoid her forever, tempting as it was to just speed out of there so he didn't have to witness her disappointment too.

Chloe grimaced at their shy looks and awkward silence. 'You know what, I'll give you two space to talk.' She gathered some files. 'I need to fact-check a few things anyway. Lois has been bugging me to look into the LuthorCorp lab that exploded two days ago.'

For all the times Clark wanted to spend some alone time with Lana, this wasn't one of them.

... ~ …

He couldn't remember anything he'd done at school or what his teachers' said. Clark was on auto-pilot, moving from rooms and hallways while counting down the hours until graduation. He was just alert enough to stop himself from wandering through a wall or knocking someone over.

On the last day, he walked the entire way home.

What came next? What was the future like for their family? The way forward wasn't clearer once everyone knew. Even Lex knew, though they weren't on the best of terms. Yet it scared him that Lex's obsession with finding out the truth could extent to Ethan. His son was just a baby. He knew nothing about hiding secrets or forming cover stories.

Ethan was vulnerable to anyone who came near him.

Reality caught up to Clark.

He couldn't burden his parents with the expenses of caring for a baby, on top of the farm and everything else. The apprehension in people's eyes hadn't faded either. Even his parents thought he was losing something rather than gaining. So what if he was a teenager? Ethan was a gift, not an obligation. Why couldn't anyone understand that?

Seeing his son's little face light up with recognition and joy when he came home was the purest thing. Each time, Ethan fussed with whoever held him - yearning loudly for Clark's warmth and reassurance. Holding his son, he'd never been more at peace.

Their cuddle session would have to wait, though.

'How did Lana take it?' Martha asked.

'She was really nice, actually. Said she thought I was doing the right thing.' Clark searched for his tie among baby clothes scattered over the counter.

'She saw how good you were with Evan.' Martha smiled, watching Jonathan bottle-feed Ethan.

'I guess.' Clark fiddled with his loose tie. 'She said she's leaving Smallville after graduation. With Jason.'

'I'm sorry, sweetheart.' Martha placed a comforting hand over his. 'I know how much you wanted things to work out with Lana.'

'Chloe's headed to the Daily Planet,' Clark continued, refusing to acknowledge the painful ache of saying goodbye to Lana. 'Even Lois is going back to Metropolis soon. I'll be here, taking care of a baby.'

'You can still go to college, son.' Jonathan said. 'Your mother and I can look after Ethan.' He pat Ethan's back to burp him, holding him steady with one hand.

Clark was three when adopted, yet his parents were naturals with a baby. They handled Ethan and cared for him as if he wasn't fragile or mysterious. They knew what to do and when.

'I appreciate that, I do, but he's my responsibility,' Clark said. 'I've already turned down my college acceptances, even to Central Kansas.'

'What about your future, Clark?' Martha asked.

'Can I answer that in about five years?' He sighed. 'Mum? Dad? I am so sorry about everything. I never meant to disappoint you. I swear, I had no idea he was even a possibility.'

'We know that, son.' Jonathan smiled as Ethan tried to grab his finger. 'Your mother and I may not condone what happened, or may have happened, but we're still your parents and you're still our son.'

'Our family's just a little bigger and more complicated now,' Martha added. 'We'll figure it out, like we always do. He's a beautiful baby, Clark.'

Ethan was the closest they had to seeing what Clark might've looked like that young. They'd already taken a dozen photos to be framed.

'Thanks.' He smiled. It meant more than he could say, though their initial reactions lingered in the back of his mind. 'I better finish getting ready.'

'Go ahead.' Jonathan nodded. 'We'll watch him.' His expression softened as Ethan grabbed hold of his finger, enticed by the wedding ring.

Clark sped to the loft for its privacy and better mirror. Lois still occupied his bedroom, despite trying to convince him to switch, though he didn't mind sleeping on the couch. It was easier to get up from when his son cried at various times in the night.

He tried to focus on his graduation ceremony, but couldn't even tie his tie without knotting it.

'I realise hand-eye coordination isn't one of your strong suits,' Lois said, walking up behind him. 'Here, let me help you with that.' She snatched it.

'Lois, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do without you,' he said dryly.

'Ah, come on, Clark, you're hanging in there.' She looped the tie around her own neck, tying it better than he'd have managed. 'I mean, sure, no more community college or little church wedding with Lana, but your future's still laid out in front of you.'

'What future?' he muttered. 'I'm excited to be a father. Getting to see my son grow up and be there for him is amazing, but-'

'But there's more to life than just being someone's parent?' Lois shrugged, adjusting the tie on him. 'It's written in the stars though, and you know it. Matching flannel, little league coaching, and maybe even an over-the-top birthday party with a cake shaped like a tractor. You are going to spoil that kid.'

'I think you're hallucinating.' He winced in reflex as she yanked the tie a bit too tight.

'No, hallucinating would be imagining Clark Kent going off to the big city to make his mark in the world. I'm just being realistic.' She stepped into his line of view. 'Seriously... I can't imagine what you're going through right now. Do you have any plan?'

'You still going to Europe?' he asked instead.

'Maybe.' Lois glanced at his reflection, giving a nod of approval. 'I do know I'm outta here this afternoon.'

'It makes it easier to say goodbye, if you are.'

She scoffed. 'You can't break up with me, Clark, we're not even a couple.'

He didn't comment. Lois caught the evasive look and swerved him to face her.

'Spill it,' she said. 'What are you up to? I was only kidding about the tractor cake...'

'Lois, I'm leaving Smallville,' he said.

'What?'

'I'm taking Ethan with me.' He fussed with his tie. 'I know it sounds crazy...'

'Damn right it does.' She frowned. 'Do you know what you'd be giving up? Babies cost money, and your parents are free babysitting. What about the farm? Where will you go?'

'Just don't tell anyone, please.'

Clark couldn't look at her without risking his resolve. How could he explain super-speeding to the farm to help out when he could? There weren't even words to make sense of why he had to do this.

Lois studied him, as if words weren't necessary. She knew him better than either dared to admit.

'You're not going to say goodbye to your parents or Chloe, are you?' Her voice was quiet, disbelieving.

'I can't rely on them right now, and they'll only try to talk me out of it. I need to prove I can do this on my own first,' Clark said, eyes pleading her to understand. 'I've already packed. I just need a lift to Metropolis. Will you help me?'

There was nothing more worrying than a speechless Lois Lane.

She returned his gaze and nodded in promise to respect his wishes, followed by a barb that he looked ridiculous in that tie.

... ~ ...

'Clark, we'll be late,' Martha called from the driveway.

'Be right there,' he replied.

He gave the house a last glance. Graduation was upon him, though it was no longer an ending but a new beginning. A terrifying fresh start.

He placed an envelope on the kitchen counter, addressed to his parents. Guilt had a way of haunting people who tried to avoid it, but he'd gained conviction in deciding to do what was best for his and his son's future.

It wouldn't be forever, but for now... Smallville was no longer home.

He had his sights set on a bigger world, where he intended to make his mark and show Ethan that possibilities were endless. No matter where someone came from, they had to make their own destiny.